Direct Families

Merovingian Dynasty (c. 450-751)

  • Clovis I: Founder of the Merovingian Dynasty: united the Franks under his rule
  • Descendants: Maintained power in Frankish territories until succeeded by the Carolingians.

Carolingian Dynasty (751-787)

  • Charles Martel: Defeated the Moors at the Battle of Tours; progenitor of the Carolingians.
  • Charlemagne: Crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800, father of European monarchy
  • Louis the Pious and his descendants: Divided empire, leading to France and Germany.

Capetian Dynasty (987-1328)

  • Hugh Capet: Frist Capetian King of France, founder of one of the largest royal dynasties.
  • Louis IX (Saint Louis): Known for his piety and crusading efforts.
  • Philip IV (the Fair): Grandfather of Edward III of England, connecting the Plantagenets.

House of Normandy (Rollo and Descendants, 911-1135)

  • Rollo: Viking leader who became the first Duke of Normandy.
  • William the Conqueror: Descendant of Rollo; became King of England after Norman Conquest (1066).

Plantagenet Dynasty (1154-1485)

  • Henry II: Married Eleanor of Aquitaine, connecting to the Capetians.
  • Edward III: Progenitor of numerous royal European lines; key figure in the Hundred Years’ War.
  • John of Gaunt: Father of the Lancastrian and Beaufort lines, linking to the Tudors.

Valois Dynasty (1328-1589)

  • Philip VI: First Valois King of France, stemming from a cadet branch of the Capetians.
  • Charles VII: Allied with Joan of Arc, father of Louis XI.

House of Medici (14th-17th Century)

  • Cosimo de’ Medici: Founder of the Medici power in Florence
  • Lorenzo the Magnificent: Renaissance patron, connecting to the royal families of France and Spain.

House of Orsini (11th Century-Present)

  • Roman nobility: Influential in the Papacy, with intermarriages to French and Spanish royal families.

House of Gonzaga (14th Century-17th Century)

  • Lords of Mantua: Connected to the Habsburgs and Bourbons through alliance and intermarriages

House of Habsburg (1273-Present)

  • Maria Theresa of Spain: Married Louis XIV of France, blending Bourbon and Habsburg lines.
  • Charles V: Holy Roman Emperor; ruled extensive European territories.

Bourbon Dynasty (1589-Present)

  • Henry IV: Founder of the French Bourbon line; descended from Louis IX.
  • Louis XIV (the Sun King): Solidified absolute monarchy in France
  • Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette: Connection the the Habsburgs

House of Stuart (1371-1714)

  • Mary Queen of Scots: Granddaughter of Henry VII; married into French Royalty.
  • James VI/I: Unified the crowns of Scotland and England.

House of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1714-Present)

  • George I: Inherited the British throne through Protestant succession.
  • Queen Victoria: “Grandmother of Europe” marrying Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

House of Windsor (1917-Present

  • George V: Renamed the British royal house to Windsor during WWI.
  • Queen Elizabeth II: Descendant of the Plantagenet’s, Tudors, Stuarts, and Hanoverians.